Story goes that Lincoln was angry with his generals for not capturing General Robert E. Lee. One of them (alledgingly) remarked: “Capture him? We have to climb a big (A. P.) Hill, march down a (James Longstreet) and go over a Stonewall (Jackson) just to get to see Lee!”.
Don’t know if it’s true, but the sentiment is correct.
Doe vindice
It was “2 Hills” since D.H. Hill (Daniel Harvey) was also serving with the ANV at the time.
In Lee, Longstreet, and Jackson the South had what might be argued as the best war leadership team of all time. (Not demeaning the reputation of Patton, who in my eyes was THE BEST!!!).
They were outgunned, undermanned, did not have economy to back their war effort, and the planned and much sought alliances of their political leaders did not pan out.
But from the first skirmish at Manassas Creek the Union Army knew that this was going to be no picnic in the glen as the media, (they were wrong back then also?), thought it was going to be.
Supporters of Lee in the South had to have a fall guy, and unfortunately “Pete” fit that bill. He was not responsible for the poor decisions at Gettysburg, but was too much of a gentleman to blame his dead commander who could not defend himself.